I was challenged by my best friend to do the #icebucketchallenge for ALS awareness.

I’m not going to do it.

Not to knock the people who have done it or to belittle the effect is has done to research.  As a matter of fact, I believe it’s a blessing that so many are giving.

Somewhere along the way, the #icebucketchallenge misses the mark.

It bothers me that the challenge is completing a task that an ALS victim is physically unable to do.  From Lebron James, to Lady Gaga, to thousands of other celebrities and non-celebrities, this challenge seems more about the people doing the challenge than the people it was intended to bless.

 A harder challenge to raise awareness seems like it would be to confine yourself to a wheelchair for a day and not be able to do anything for yourself.  Don’t feed yourself.  Don’t clothe yourself.  Don’t bathe yourself. 

The thought of that is enough to thank God that I don’t have to live that way.

About a year ago, my brother, Joshua Thomas, came home from our World Race experience.  While on the race, Joshua lost considerable weight and strength.  Joshua didn’t know what was going on with his body and our squad and his family were concerned.

Joshua and I at Training Camp May 2012

Joshua and I May 2013, about a year later.  (My weight loss was malaria affected, because I lost a lot of weight too.)

Joshua posted this blog after a visit to the doctors.  He was told that he may have ALS, a virtual death sentence.

ALS atrophies your muscles to the point that you can’t do anything for yourself.  And there Joshua was staring his future in the eye.

I remember reading his blog and weeping.  I cried uncontrollably.  I love that guy.  It brings me to tears to think of that moment still.

A year later, Joshua still doesn’t know what is going on with his body, but ALS seems to be more of a scare than a certainty.  Joshua, however, is still very physically weak.  This is his most recent blog.

The point of this blog is that it is more than ice and it is more than water.  Give because there are people in physical conditions like Joshua and worse who need help, who need people to stand by them.  Not someone trying to get a bunch of likes on a video and call out their closest friends.

ALS is real and I donate money not to be known but because of people like my brother Joshua.  I’ll stand with him til my legs give out.